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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24106417">Stay Alert</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexwlchan/pseuds/alexwlchan'>alexwlchan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>UK politics - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Memes, Pandemics, meme warfare</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:33:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>367</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24106417</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexwlchan/pseuds/alexwlchan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Government’s Meme Research Laboratory announces an exciting breakthrough in spontaneous memes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stay Alert</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The UK government have issued a new slogan “Stay Alert … Control the Virus … Save Lives” as part of their comms strategy around the current pandemic. I saw at least half a dozen parodies before I saw the original, so I wondered… what if there was no original?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>PORTON UP, MAY 10, 2020</strong> - In a new study released today in the British Journal of Memeology, researchers at the Porton Up laboratory demonstrate how induced pluperfect meme ideas can provide a renewable supply of spontaneous meme content. This content can then be shared to produce high levels of likes, reshares and subscribes that can successfully increase social engagement in humans.</p><p>“We created a culture that maximises the potential for spontaneous memes”, explained Ernő Scribbler, Ph.D., of the UK Government Meme Research Laboratory and lead investigator on the new research. “By repeatedly confusing the public with inconsistent or incoherent advice, we created an environment where a spontaneous meme could mutate, which was indistinguishable from something the government actually said.”</p><p>Currently the standard process for creating government memes involves a politician saying something that catches public attention. However, this process has multiple challenges. Communications directors have long opposed this approach, due to the high risk of embarrassment and unpredictable meme nature. Scientists remain unable to predict whether a given gaffe will produce a healthy meme. This approach has yielded some success, but is often inconsistent. For examples of this in practice, see Cameron [2010] or Miliband [2015].</p><p>Spontaneous memes have been created previously (see Poe [2005]), but not in a government context.</p><p>The new meme created by the experiment involves a yellow sign with a green border, and a three part slogan, “Stay Alert … Control the Virus … Save Lives”. The text is frequently replaced with other, more humorous alternatives. No such sign has been issued by a government department, but Internet users are passing examples around as if it is a parody of a real government communication. It bears a passing similarity to a previously-issued poster, but the green border and new text came about spontaneously.</p><p>Next on the researchers’ agenda is to isolate the early versions of this meme, and to understand who created the initial versions, with a view to interviewing them to understand other factors that may increase spontaneous meme potential.</p><p>The Porton Up Humour Research Laboratory ensures that innovative humour and amusement contribute to the defence and security of the UK. PUHRL is an executive agency, sponsored by the Ministry of Silly Walks.</p>
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